Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 193 - Texting With Tech Support

I storm down the sidewalk for about a block as the cool autumn night quickly helps clear my head. But when I turn a corner and get out of her possible line of sight, I still can’t shake all of the irritation.

Being that upset and petty against someone who’s clearly had too much to drink doesn’t seem like the most rational way to act. Then again, I’d had my picture taken twice without much permission.

> There should be nothing wrong with doing it once as revenge. Yet... <

Sighing in pointless frustration, I strike my back against the concrete wall and look up into the sky. My phone buzzes with a text notification and I see it’s from Claire.

BK: [Emergency that interrupted you two has been handled, everything is fine.]

BK: [Kyrie is eating a big venison steak and... well, I can just do this!]

A still image of what looks like an overhead corner camera feed is sent to my phone, It shows a whole different sort of angle of that office of hers that I’ve seen in the images the Rimecoat Alpha has let out.

> This has to be very illegal. The term ’corporate espionage’ comes to mind. <

Vrika only whines and impresses upon me that we should be there, watching her back while she eats. Not watching her through a camera at such a distance.

BK: [I’d also like to let you know that she has declared - in an unusual overnight memo - that she will be in an hour late to work for the next week per her doctor’s orders.]

BK: [Her doctor who is in the company loop shot me an e-mail immediately wondering what was up with that.]

The rapid fire of these messages makes me wonder if she isn’t sending them with a real keyboard somehow. Fingers can’t be typing so accurately without mistakes on this phone... or maybe she is using the voice-to-text?

BK: [Guess you’re her doctor now, huh? Gave her a check up and told her to get some rest after... :fire-heart:]

My willpower keeps me from tossing my phone down the street. Can I not have one friend who will not bring that situation up?!

> Yes, you too! Everyone just cool it for like, half a day, please! <

C: [I hope as her assistant, you were telling her to be taking better care of herself. Or else her doctor might have to order a certain pair of glasses and whatever is attached to them removed from the building.]

Eventually I finish typing this response and receive some sort of... animated image in return. Of a pair of glasses launching up off of a person’s face as their eyebrows raise in shock.

BK: [Allow me to prove that I am too useful to use your feminine wiles to simply get rid of. I have the final tally you requested for her card usage. Still want it?]

Shaking my head, I tap the button to send a voice recording so that all of my tone is retained.

"As if I was going to actually do anything like that... Yes. Send it please."

BK: [Total expenditures are about $33k. Most of which has been the last few days. Speedrunning through the $1M, are we? Shall I send the detailed breakdown?]

My eyebrows rise at the number as it’s more than some people in this country make in a year. It’s not much more than I actually expected, but also... just seems so large. But knowing the exact amount makes the debt feel more... near its end.

C: [Yes, please send the breakdown. And thank you for tracking everything so carefully. But I don’t think I’ll be renting many more apartments or buying many new beds.]

I didn’t want my voice to give anything I was feeling away this time, so I convert my voice to that text. Then, I bring up the system interface that had pulsed at the edge of my vision earlier. The check mark expands out into the task list and I read again what is ’expected’ of me.

| TASK: Establish Professional Identity By Impressing Project Lead |

> Well, that’s highly specific as usual... but also kind of vague just like the Establish Connection one before had been. To what degree must I impress them? <

Would a shrugging acceptance work... and if so, would the reward be affected? Or perhaps the chance of further tasks depends on the results of those completed prior. Maybe something like how the reward is chosen and it depends on if I would have done the thing and how well I think I can do it?

I have no real rationale for believing any of that, but it keeps me from thinking about a drunk woman walking the street alone. As does the ’spreadsheet’ that I’m sent by the Alpha’s assistant.

Looking at the itemized list - starting from the spa treatments, clothes, food I bought over some days, motel stays, the storage container, various supplies - I realize again how much of my current stability has been furthered due to Kyrie’s initial generosity.

I’m so absorbed in the numbers that I almost miss the sound of unsteady footsteps passing up the street I had been on before making the turn. Glancing over, I spot a familiar figure weaving slightly as she walks.

"Dammit, Anise..."

I whisper under my breath as my pride wars with what I’m seeing. It seems possible after what she’d done earlier that she could be manipulating the situation again. But she didn’t seem to have even looked my way.

And she did admit to being more intoxicated than she should have gotten. Now out there alone trying to make it to...

> Do I even know where she lives? <

The black wolf spirit barks and I bob my head to the side. Of course I don’t. Because I didn’t ask anything like that of her and it feels like the one thing about herself she hadn’t rambled about while we walked before.

C: [Quick question - do you happen to have Anise’s home address? The seamstress from Crystalline?]

Swallowing my irritation, I quickly type this message to Claire as I start trailing after this silly woman. The response comes back almost immediately.

BK: [Yes. 1247 Meridian Heights, Apt 3B. It’s not far from where you are. Is everything alright?]

The address has a link to the map app and I tap it quickly before looking back up at the blonde.

C: [She’s just had a bit too much to drink and I didn’t want her to be turned around going the wrong direction. I’m going to follow and make sure she gets home safely.]

BK: [Well, walking new friends home seems to be your specialty. But be careful. We both know you are kind of a target right now.]

With that reminder, I frown while pocketing my phone and staying far enough back that she won’t notice me... but close enough to hopefully intervene if she gets into trouble.

> I just asked a stalker for information on someone to help me better stalk them - what is my life now? <

Despite my way of phrasing the question, Vrika sends me a warm feeling of approval for taking responsibility for others. I realize this might be one of those moments where my wolf spirit and I are actually in complete agreement.

The people we care about and that care about us, even if it’s only temporary, deserve to be protected from danger when I have the power to stop it. Regardless of whatever fear of abandonment I may have as I let myself reach out.

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